1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equine saddle pads, and more particularly to saddle pads having superior moisture-wicking capacity. The moisture-wicking capacity removes perspiration from the saddle area and enhances localized cooling of the horse.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A saddle pad is placed between the horse and the saddle and is traditionally structured from felt, cotton, wool, and sheepskin. More recently cushioning materials such as artificial sheepskin, polyurethane foams and other plastic foams of both open- and closed-cell configurations have been used.
Typically, in constructing saddle pads, extra care is taken to protect the withers and back of the horse from irritation from the weight and movement of the saddle and rider. The saddle pad also needs to enhance the stability of the saddle mounting so that slippage from the proper location on the horse's back is avoided.
In the disclosure which follows, significant attention is paid to the materials of construction and the teachings of prior art fibers have been considered. From 1970 to date E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del. through the DuPont Dacron Research Laboratory in North Carolina and the Central Research and Development in Delaware developed a family of passive performance fibers utilizing microfiber filaments. These materials are described briefly in the article entitled Viewpoint: 21st Century Fibers, International Fiber Journal (August, 1999-Vol. 14, Issue 4). The DuPont development of sculpted fibers variously described as oblong, four-channel and scalloped-oval, longitudinally grooved fibers are the subject, among others, of U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,488 to Gorrafa and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,523, 5,626,961, 5,736,243 and, 6,013,368 to Aneja. The sculpted fibers (not round) led to the introduction of the COOLMAX® product group of fibers. Further background of this art is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,961, which background is incorporated herein by reference.
In the past, several saddle pad patents and published patent applications have come to the attention of the inventor hereof. These are:
Published Patent ApplicationsAppl. No.InventorU.S. Cl.Pub. Date2003/0177742Brownlie54/66Sep. 25, 20032002/0162307Arnold54/66Nov. 7, 20022002/0104295Rauch54/66Aug. 8, 2002
U.S. PatentsPatent No.InventorU.S. Cl.Issue Date6,459,015Lyon604/368Oct. 1, 20026,421,989Leson 54/66Jul. 23, 20025,575,139Green 54/66Nov. 19, 19965,353,577Thurston 54/66Oct. 11, 1994
Brownlie, U.S. patent application 2003/0177742, teaches a two-chambered inflatable interface pad with each chamber having a foam core within a valved, thin-skinned envelope.
Arnold, U.S. patent application No. 2002/0162307, teaches a numnah having a foam polymer base layer and a planar polymer foam scrim layer attached thereto. The foam polymer layer in the first embodiment is of closed-cell, cross-linked polyolefin foam; and in the other embodiment, of open-cell PVC foam.
Rauch, U.S. patent application No. 2002/0104295, teaches a multi-layer saddle pad of non-woven polypropylene foam. The layers are maintained free of any permanent attachments along the periphery.
Lyon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,015, teaches a disposable saddle blanket of non-woven polypropylene for absorbing and dispersing therewithin the perspiration from the horse or pony.
Leson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,989, teaches a two-panel saddle pad constructed of a thermoformed polymeric material with longitudinal channels in the panels and a connector strip therebetween.
Green, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,139, teaches a non-slip saddle pad that, when in use, has an innermost layer of open-celled plastic foam (with the cellular structure exposed) in direct contact with the horse. The open cells act like suction cups to reduce slippage of the saddle.
Thurston, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,577, teaches a reversible saddle pad in which billet keepers can, upon reversing the pad, be moved through an aperture to the opposite side of the saddle pad and avoid the billet keepers irritating the horse. Both sides of the pad have a fleece-like covering.
While the above patented saddle pads use synthetic materials, there still remains a wicking-absorption-evaporation problem which remains unresolved by the combinations shown.
The patents referred to herein are representative of the present state-of-the-art, but do no singly or in combination exhibit the characteristics of the moisture-wicking saddle pad presented, infra. The citing of the patents is not intended as an admission that any such patent constitutes prior art against the claims of the present application. Applicant does not waive any right to take any action that would be appropriate to antidate or otherwise remove any listed document as a competent reference against the claims of this application.
Other technical problems are overcome or resolved by the invention disclosed herein. The innovative approach in the design and construction of the saddle pad hereof is contained in the description which follows.